Shadows of Brightwater

The Gods

The Gods of Thia are neither omnipotent nor omniscient, but are the embodiment of the ideas that drive intelligent creatures. They are powerful, universal forces, but achieve most things through their servants. By empowering mortals, they propagate the ideas they represent, gaining power as a result. A God who invests too much in a single servant or project, however, risks having their power diminished if their plans are thwarted.

As servants of the divine are fond of saying, the Gods reflect on our world, and we reflect on them. The wars, alliances, and betrayals of the Outer Planes mirror those of Thia, and if the servants of a God suffer losses here, that God’s influence will wain throughout the multiverse.

(Editor’s Note: These Gods are the same as the basic Greyhawk deities originally presented in the 3rd ed. DnD Player’s Handbook, except without Gruumsh and Wee Jas, because I felt they were redundant with other Gods, and with gender-swapped versions of Olidammara, St. Cuthbert, and Vecna, because otherwise this pantheon is a sausage fest.)

The current known Pantheon of the Divine is as follows:

Boccob: True Neutral God of Knowledge and Magic. Known to be powerful but aloof, he has few followers and foregoes large temples in favor of small shrines within libraries.

Corellon Larethian: Chaotic Good God of Elves. Rumored to have been defeated by Erythnul hundreds of years ago, prompting the retreat of the Kingdom of Elves. Is the primary Patron of Wesley Cooper.

Ehlonna: Neutral Good Goddess of Woodlands. She protects good people who make honest livings in wild places. Matron deity of Brightwater and Meleandra, prior to the events of Chapter One.

Erythnul: Chaotic Evil God of Slaughter. Responsible for the corruption of the Slaughterstone and the destruction of Brightwater. Commonly believed to be ascendant due to the Tharn War, but may be weakening due to the Slaughterstone’s destruction. Rumored to have defeated Correllon Larethian.

Garl Glittergold: Neutral Good God of Gnomes. Known as a trickster and protector of his chosen race.

Heironeous: Lawful Good God of Valor. His once small following of paladins is now actively proselytizing to honorable soldiers in the Tharn War. He promotes chivalry, honor, and justice in all things.

Hextor: Lawful Evil God of Tyranny. Half-brother and dark mirror of Heironeous, he represents oppression and victory at any cost. Like his brother, he is gaining followers due to the Tharn War, but among those who enjoy cruelty and domination.

Kord: True Neutral God of Strength. Patron of the old empire of Vikram, rarely worshiped in modern Oleand except by professional soldiers and mercenaries, or in the city of Old Vikram. A particularly brutal aspect of Kord known as Gruumsh is worshipped by the orc tribes of the Crashing Mountains.

Moradin: Lawful Good God of Dwarves. He crafted the first dwarves, and is known as a craftsman still. Beyond that, he represents the dwarven virtues of community, hierarchy, protection, and when necessary, righteous warfare.

Nerull: Neutral Evil God of Death. He is the source of undead plagues, and enemy to all life. Known ally of Vecna. Few choose to worship death itself, but those who do are capable of terrible crimes.

Obad-Hai: True Neutral God of Nature. Patron of all those who live in harmony with the natural world. Rival of Ehlonna, because he doesn’t take sides: both the peace and the savagery of nature is his domain.

Olidammara: Chaotic Neutral Goddess of Fortune. Her temples are few (with the notable exception of Redford, of which she is Matron), but many offer quick prayers for her favor.

Pelor: Neutral Good God of the Sun. Patron of the old empire of Rael and most commonly worshiped deity among humans in the Kingdom of Oleand.

St. Cuthbert: Lawful Neutral Goddess of Retribution. She represents just punishment for crimes committed. Matron of the Elven village of Farewell, who turned to her after Corellon Larethian was defeated by Erythnul.

Vecna: Neutral Evil Goddess of Secrets. She governs forbidden knowledge and dark ambition. She has secret cults throughout Oleand who help raise the dead for her ally, Nerull. Her servants infiltrated the Tomb of Torin Tresail and released his former grand vizier, The Lich.

Yondalla: Lawful Good Goddess of Halflings. She emphasizes community, diplomacy, fertility, and protection.